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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · stick · mine · pass · bass · row · rock · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rock — music
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bass — low music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. board — a committee
  18. row — a line
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rock — a stone
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wax — for sculpting

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