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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. object — an aim
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fall — the season
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fall — to drop
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pass — a permit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. squash — the sport
  19. object — to protest
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a dance
  23. object — a thing
  24. bass — low music

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