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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
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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 · object · snap · bound · capital · rock · bass · deal

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. object — an aim
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — low music
  9. capital — money
  10. snap — to click
  11. rock — music
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rock — a stone
  17. object — a thing
  18. bass — the fish
  19. capital — a city
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wax — to grow
  22. object — to protest
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wax — for sculpting

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