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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. content — happy
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. kick — in football
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bass — the fish
  12. land — to come down
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. land — ground
  15. content — the amount
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wax — to grow
  18. land — a country
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bass — low music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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