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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: face · patient · sharp · mark · vault · wax · suit · pitch

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wax — to grow
  6. face — part of the head
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — clever
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. face — to confront
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. face — to point toward
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mark — a trace
  17. suit — in cards
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mark — a grade
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. vault — a safe
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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