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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: wake · bass · press · object · roll · hide · wax · key

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. roll — a list
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. press — to push
  7. wax — to grow
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. roll — a cake
  12. object — a thing
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. object — an aim
  20. key — in music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. object — to protest
  23. wake — a trail
  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