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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: wax · pop · ground · bay · fan · hide · board · face

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — to visit
  4. board — a committee
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. board — to get on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pop — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — to confront
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bay — a horse colour

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