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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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 — the instrument
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bass — low music
  11. pound — a weight
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. hide — animal skin
  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