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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ball — a dance
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. race — a contest
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wax — to grow
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bank — of a river
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. suit — to fit
  19. race — humankind
  20. bank — for money
  21. ball — a great time
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bass — the fish

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