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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: arm · ground · can · wax · rash · coach · bass · wave

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bass — low music
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — a series
  15. wax — to grow
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ground — the earth
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bass — the instrument

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