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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: pop · rush · spell · wax · coach · bass · file · wake

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pop — to visit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — to grow
  13. file — a line of people
  14. spell — magic
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pop — music
  20. bass — low music
  21. wake — a trail
  22. file — a document
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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