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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: wax · bass · spell · shower · season · band · lie · ruler

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. band — a ring
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. shower — to wash
  8. spell — a short time
  9. shower — rain
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bass — low music
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. spell — letters
  18. wax — to grow
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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