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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pound · file · wax · press · bass · temple · jam · mark

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. press — a publisher
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. file — a tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. press — to push
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wax — to grow
  14. file — a document
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. file — a line of people
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wax — in the ear

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