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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: wave · degree · wound · wax · press · jam · net · face

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wound — an injury
  6. degree — temperature
  7. face — to point toward
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. press — to push
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. face — to confront
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. press — a publisher
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. face — part of the head
  24. net — for catching

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