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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: craft · plane · wax · ground · ball · mine · bass · wave

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ground — a position
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. craft — boats
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. plane — a tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ball — a great time
  24. plane — an aircraft

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