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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.

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: file · patient · wax · bass · branch · pass · row · stick

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wax — to grow
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. file — a line of people
  9. branch — a division
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. file — a tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. file — a document
  19. pass — a permit
  20. row — a line
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. branch — of a bank

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