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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: wax · rush · object · march · club · fine · bass · cabinet

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. object — to protest
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. march — the month
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. club — a group
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. object — a thing
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. object — an aim
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. march — music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  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