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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 120 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: track · object · shower · wax · kid · bass · staff · game

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. track — to keep track
  4. staff — employees
  5. kid — child
  6. bass — the fish
  7. object — a thing
  8. game — a match
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. kid — to tease
  12. track — a path
  13. staff — a stick
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. object — an aim
  16. staff — employees
  17. bass — low music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. game — wild animals
  20. shower — to wash
  21. object — to protest
  22. track — a song
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wax — to grow

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