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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.

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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: club · lash · bowl · field · wax · content · wave · bass

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. club — a group
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. content — the amount
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bass — low music
  11. field — a subject
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. field — for sport
  21. club — for golf
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. field — farmland

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