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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 · stand · bay · pass · dip · bass · spring · straw

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bass — low music
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spring — a coil
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spring — the season
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wax — to grow
  24. dip — to dunk

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