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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: face · cell · wax · game · pass · jam · rush · pop

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. game — a match
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pop — music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pop — soda
  19. game — wild animals
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pass — to succeed

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