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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. degree — from a university
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bass — low music
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spell — letters
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bass — the fish

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