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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 · race · court · pass · face · current · date · foot

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. current — of water
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. current — happening now
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. current — electric
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. court — of law
  11. race — the arms race
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. court — for sport
  23. pass — a permit
  24. court — of a king

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