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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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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: press · band · charge · wax · mark · bass · plane · coach

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. charge — a price
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. charge — electricity
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. band — a music group
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. band — a ring
  15. charge — in control
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wax — to grow
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mark — a trace
  22. plane — a tool
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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