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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
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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: land · wax · press · bass · club · track · temple · game

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. club — for dancing
  4. track — a path
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. press — to push
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bass — low music
  10. land — a country
  11. club — a group
  12. land — to come down
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. club — for golf
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — ground
  22. track — to keep track
  23. press — newspapers
  24. track — a song

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