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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 · rock · chair · arm · bore · wax · stand · squash

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rock — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bass — low music
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bore — to drill
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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