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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: mate · deal · race · plane · wax · bass · fall · current

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. race — a contest
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. current — happening now
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — the season
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fall — to drop
  17. current — of water
  18. mate — a partner
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. current — electric
  23. race — humankind
  24. bass — the fish

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