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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bank — for money
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ball — a dance
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bass — low music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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