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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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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 · mate · pitch · stick · face · lash · cue · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ground — a position
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cue — a signal
  19. face — to confront
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cue — for pool

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