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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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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: arm · press · bass · wax · hand · bound · track · mine

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bound — tied together
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. press — to push
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bass — low music
  21. bound — certain
  22. hand — help
  23. press — a publisher
  24. track — a song

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