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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. roll — a cake
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fall — to drop
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bass — low music
  12. firm — a company
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. firm — decided
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. firm — steady
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fall — the season
  22. bass — the fish
  23. roll — a list
  24. stand — on your feet

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