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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bay · wax · patient · ball · fan · bass · lash · pass

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bass — low music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fan — a supporter

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