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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. scale — in music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bass — low music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rush — hurry
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bound — certain
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bound — tied together
  23. press — to push
  24. pass — a permit

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