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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.

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: cabinet · wax · mate · field · rock · sharp · bass · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. field — a subject
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mate — a friend
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mate — a partner
  21. field — for sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. field — farmland

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