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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: wax · deal · scale · fall · pitcher · mark · face · board

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mark — a trace
  4. face — to point toward
  5. board — a committee
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. scale — in music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. face — to confront
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — part of the head
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. deal — to handle

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