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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. suit — to fit
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rush — hurry

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