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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. band — a music group
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ball — a great time
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — to grow
  23. band — a ring
  24. ball — a dance

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