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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: wax · sharp · bear · coach · bass · leaves · rash · mouse

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rash — a series
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rash — hasty
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wax — in the ear

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