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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: cell · ball · race · wave · wax · bass · rock · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. race — humankind
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. can — a tin
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bass — low music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. race — a contest
  17. ball — a dance
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rock — music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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