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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: safe · bulb · game · staff · bass · track · wax · wind

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. game — wild animals
  6. track — a song
  7. wax — to grow
  8. game — a match
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bulb — for light
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. staff — a stick
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bass — low music
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bulb — for light
  22. staff — employees
  23. wind — moving air
  24. track — a path

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