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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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 — the instrument
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. object — an aim
  6. shower — rain
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wake — a trail
  9. object — a thing
  10. fine — all right
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — to protest
  19. bass — low music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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