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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.

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: charge · object · bass · bowl · wound · wax · chest · fall

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. object — an aim
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bass — low music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — a price
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. charge — in control
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. chest — a box

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