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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. rest — a break
  5. present — there
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rest — what's left
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bass — low music
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rest — what's left

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