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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 116 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
468
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: wax · stand · bass · band · lean · dip · land · bay

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bass — low music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bass — the fish
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. wax — to grow
  15. land — ground
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lean — thin
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lean — to rest against

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