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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.

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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: jam · tear · rest · charge · wax · bay · face · bass

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. tear — from crying
  3. charge — in control
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rest — a break
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bass — the fish
  12. face — to confront
  13. bass — low music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — from crying
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. charge — a price
  23. face — to point toward
  24. tear — to rip

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