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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mate — a friend
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mate — to breed
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. track — a song
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rest — a break
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bank — for money

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