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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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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: bass · trunk · dip · wax · snap · pass · bowl · cue

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cue — a signal
  21. snap — to click
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bass — low music

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