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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · toast · lash · arm · wax · mark · court · season

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. court — for sport
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bass — low music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. season — of the year
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. court — of law
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mark — a grade
  17. toast — bread
  18. season — in sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bass — the fish

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