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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lean · face · row · saw · bass · wax · toast · wave

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bass — the fish
  5. row — to paddle
  6. toast — bread
  7. wax — to grow
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lean — thin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — a line
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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