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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.

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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: ball · content · saw · bass · cue · wax · shower · charge

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bass — the fish
  4. content — the amount
  5. shower — rain
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cue — a hint
  13. saw — the tool
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. content — happy
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cue — a signal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ball — a dance
  24. content — videos and posts

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