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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: bass · mate · file · bulb · chair · wax · wake · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. file — a tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mate — a partner
  23. file — a document
  24. row — a line

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