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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bass — the fish
  5. face — to confront
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. object — a thing
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bank — for money
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bank — for money
  13. object — an aim
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. shower — rain
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bear — the animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bank — of a river
  24. prune — to trim

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