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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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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: lash · wax · bay · deal · race · press · swing · bass

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. swing — in golf
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. race — humankind
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. deal — to handle
  13. swing — music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wax — to grow
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. race — a contest
  24. swing — to play on

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