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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: wax · firm · plane · game · face · wave · fall · bass

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bass — the fish
  4. face — to point toward
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. game — a match
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. face — to confront
  11. wax — to grow
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. firm — a company
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fall — to drop
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bass — low music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fall — the season
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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