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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 · bore · pitch · cap · lean · firm · staff · face

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. face — to point toward
  10. staff — employees
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bore — to drill
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lean — thin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. firm — steady
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bore — to tire
  22. face — to confront
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cap — a hat

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