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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 · wax · last · charge · cue · land · kid · rock

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. land — a country
  5. charge — electricity
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. land — to come down
  9. charge — a price
  10. bass — low music
  11. last — to go on
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bass — the fish
  18. charge — in control
  19. land — ground
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. cue — a hint

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