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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pop — soda
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bass — low music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pop — music
  24. tear — to rip

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