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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 120 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: racket · wax · swing · fall · mark · face · bass · bulb

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fall — the season
  6. swing — music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bass — low music
  10. mark — a grade
  11. swing — in golf
  12. face — to confront
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. face — to point toward
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — to drop
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bulb — for light

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