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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.

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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
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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: race · leaves · bowl · bound · plane · bass · fan · wax

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bound — certain
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bound — tied together
  8. race — a contest
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wax — to grow
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bass — the fish
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. race — humankind

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