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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · clip · mark · perch · stock · wax · key · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. clip — a video
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stock — shares
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wax — to grow
  17. key — in music
  18. bass — low music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — the most important part
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. hide — to keep secret

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