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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rash — a series
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. root — the cause
  6. bass — low music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pop — music
  14. root — of a word
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pop — soda
  24. rush — a thrill

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