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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: bass · wax · leaves · saw · swing · file · press · firm

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. press — newspapers
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. swing — to play on
  6. press — to push
  7. wax — to grow
  8. firm — a company
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. file — a tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. saw — the tool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bass — low music
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. firm — steady
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. file — a line of people
  20. firm — decided
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. file — a document
  24. swing — music

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