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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: firm · lash · bass · field · wax · net · lean · can

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — in sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lean — thin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. can — a tin
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lean — to bend
  20. net — after costs
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. field — farmland
  23. net — for catching
  24. firm — decided

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