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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
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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: roll · rush · date · bass · net · spell · stand · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wax — to grow
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. spell — letters
  10. bass — low music
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. date — the fruit
  18. spell — a short time
  19. roll — a cake
  20. spell — magic
  21. net — after costs
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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