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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: mouse · mark · bass · season · staff · land · stand · wax

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. land — to come down
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. season — in sport
  11. bass — the fish
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bass — low music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. season — of the year
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mark — a grade

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