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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: clip · fall · bore · bowl · safe · bass · wax · band

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. clip — a video
  3. bass — low music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. band — a ring
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. band — a music group
  12. clip — for paper
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bass — the fish
  21. clip — to cut
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fall — to drop

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