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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.

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: wind · charge · trunk · bass · pound · wax · pop · temple

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bass — low music
  5. pop — music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wind — moving air
  12. charge — a price
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pop — to visit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pound — a weight
  22. charge — in control
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. charge — electricity

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