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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · bass · wax · mouse · bound · mate · chip · cap

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rest — a break
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — certain
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bass — low music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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