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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: board · present · wax · wound · ball · lie · foot · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. board — a committee
  6. wax — to grow
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — a gift
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bass — the fish
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. board — to get on
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. foot — part of the body

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