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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: mark · tube · wax · deal · stand · spell · fall · bass

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spell — letters
  6. bass — low music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fall — the season
  13. spell — a short time
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. spell — magic
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stand — to bear

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