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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
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: safe · bass · mate · wax · tube · swing · rock · drill

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wax — to grow
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. drill — army training
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mate — to breed
  10. swing — music
  11. tube — a container
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rock — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. drill — a practice
  22. tube — the underground
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bass — low music

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