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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: mark · face · ball · perch · prune · suit · pitcher · wax

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wax — to grow
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. face — to confront
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — to point toward
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. suit — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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