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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wax — to grow
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. snap — to click
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bass — the fish
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rule — a law
  12. stand — to bear
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. board — a committee
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rule — government
  17. bass — low music
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. board — to get on
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. dip — to dunk

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