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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
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: band · plane · wax · mouse · snap · kick · press · bass

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. press — a publisher
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. kick — in football
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. snap — to click
  16. band — a music group
  17. bass — low music
  18. band — a ring
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. press — to push
  23. plane — a tool
  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