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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. shower — rain
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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