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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. ball — a great time
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bank — for money
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bass — low music
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bank — for money
  22. wake — a trail
  23. shower — rain
  24. ball — a round shape

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