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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: cap · bass · kick · bat · safe · mug · wax · tube

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mug — a face
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. tube — a container
  11. cap — a hat
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. tube — the underground
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kick — in football
  24. wax — in the ear

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