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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mate — a friend
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mate — to breed
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bass — the fish
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the sport
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wake — a trail

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