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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.

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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: staff · suit · game · temple · stand · wax · face · pop

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. staff — a stick
  3. game — wild animals
  4. suit — in cards
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. staff — employees
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pop — music
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stand — to bear
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pop — soda
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. game — a match
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stand — for spectators
  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