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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 120 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: coach · wax · wave · cold · face · ball · bulb · chip

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. face — to confront
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cold — not warm
  12. ball — a great time
  13. face — to point toward
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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