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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. can — a tin
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitch — completely
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fall — the season
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pop — music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bass — the fish

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