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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wax — to grow
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mate — a partner
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bass — low music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. season — of the year
  20. squash — to crush
  21. season — in sport
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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