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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 116 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.

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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 · pitcher · mark · bass · safe · pop · wound · tear

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pop — music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mark — a grade
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pop — soda
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bass — low music
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wax — in the ear

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