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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — a line
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cue — a hint
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cue — for pool
  24. row — a quarrel

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