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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
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: rash · clip · rock · suit · face · pitch · wax · wave

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. clip — a video
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pitch — completely
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rash — a series
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. face — to confront
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rash — hasty
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rock — a stone
  24. clip — for paper

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