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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 116 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: present · wax · bass · object · season · wind · hide · safe

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. object — an aim
  4. season — of the year
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. present — a gift
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bass — low music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bass — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. object — a thing
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. wind — moving air
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. season — in sport
  24. wind — to turn a key

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