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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: bore · wax · face · pop · mine · suit · cap · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. suit — to fit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cap — a hat
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pop — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wax — to grow
  22. face — to confront
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mine — an explosive

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