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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fork — in a road
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bass — low music
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. last — finally
  24. wax — for sculpting

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