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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. track — a path
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bass — low music
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. wax — to grow
  14. track — a song
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spring — a coil

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