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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: field · board · wax · bass · pass · tear · mug · rock

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. board — a committee
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mug — to rob
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. field — a subject
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mug — a face
  20. field — for sport
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. field — farmland
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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