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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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Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. charge — in control
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. charge — a price
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bass — low music
  17. can — a tin
  18. charge — electricity
  19. hand — help
  20. bass — the fish
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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