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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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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: patient · face · cue · pitch · wax · chest · bay · wave

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wax — to grow
  4. face — to confront
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chest — a box
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cue — a signal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. patient — a sick person

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