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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · bass · squash · bore · fall · spring · stand · wax

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. spring — the season
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spring — of water
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bass — low music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fall — the season
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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