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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bass — low music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. lean — thin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rock — a stone
  14. shower — rain
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pop — soda
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pop — music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rock — music

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