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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · fine · object · face · wax · spell · racket · board

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. face — to point toward
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fine — high quality
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. spell — letters
  11. face — part of the head
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — a short time
  15. object — to protest
  16. face — to confront
  17. fine — all right
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. spell — magic
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com