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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · jam · wax · face · field · bass · lie · cap

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cap — of ice
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. race — a contest
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lie — to recline
  15. field — farmland
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wax — to grow
  19. face — to point toward
  20. field — for sport
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. bass — low music
  24. face — to confront

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