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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: face · racket · current · bass · chair · wax · firm · spring

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bass — the fish
  4. current — happening now
  5. spring — a coil
  6. current — electric
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chair — a leader
  9. firm — steady
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. firm — decided
  12. wax — to grow
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. firm — a company
  16. current — of water
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spring — the season
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. face — to confront
  23. spring — of water
  24. bass — low music

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