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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 120 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: race · bass · wax · pit · staff · saw · coach · trunk

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. race — humankind
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bass — low music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wax — to grow
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. race — a contest
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. staff — a stick
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pit — in a race
  18. race — the arms race
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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