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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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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: pass · degree · ball · wax · nail · fan · staff · face

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ball — a great time
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — employees
  14. face — to confront
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wax — to grow
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. degree — an amount
  23. staff — a stick
  24. face — to point toward

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