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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bass — low music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bat — the animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wax — to grow
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. club — a group
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rush — hurry
  20. club — for dancing
  21. saw — the tool
  22. club — for golf
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. nail — for a hammer

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