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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: last · wax · bass · scale · vault · date · present · content

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — to grow
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. vault — a safe
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. present — there
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. last — finally
  12. present — a gift
  13. date — the fruit
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — the amount
  18. scale — in music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bass — low music
  23. present — the time now
  24. content — happy

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