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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. board — a committee
  8. shower — to wash
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pop — music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pop — to visit
  18. board — to get on
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — to grow
  23. shower — rain
  24. pop — soda

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