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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
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: wax · clip · temple · pound · dip · bowl · spell · bass

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bass — low music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spell — magic
  5. clip — a video
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bass — the fish
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wax — to grow
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. clip — to cut
  24. dip — to dunk

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