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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 120 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: wax · rule · nail · track · ball · game · lash · bass

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ball — a great time
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. track — a path
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. game — wild animals
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. game — a match
  21. wax — to grow
  22. track — a song
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bass — low music

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