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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: wax · lash · bay · ball · dip · tear · bass · track

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. track — a path
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. track — a song
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. ball — a dance
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lash — an eyelash

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