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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 116 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: cap · race · wax · game · pass · bass · rock · plane

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. game — a match
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bass — low music
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. game — wild animals
  14. race — humankind
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. race — a contest
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rock — music
  24. bass — the fish

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