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

Word bank: bass · stand · wax · object · present · roll · mouse · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. object — an aim
  7. present — the time now
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bass — the fish
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. present — there
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. last — to go on
  20. object — a thing
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. last — finally
  24. present — a gift

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