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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: race · rush · bay · bass · wax · fall · net · lie

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fall — the season
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — for catching
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bass — low music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. race — humankind
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. wax — to grow
  21. race — a contest
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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