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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.

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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: bass · calf · wax · rush · stick · pop · bank · wake

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pop — music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bass — low music
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pop — soda
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bank — for money
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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