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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: bass · drill · wax · game · tube · current · perch · wake

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. current — electric
  5. wake — a trail
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. perch — the fish
  9. game — a match
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bass — low music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. current — of water
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. current — happening now
  20. bass — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. drill — army training
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wax — to grow

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