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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.

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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: bay · rest · bass · bowl · wave · shower · wax · snap

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. snap — to click
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. shower — rain
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wax — to grow

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