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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. object — to protest
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. object — an aim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — low music
  9. object — a thing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — the season
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rush — hurry
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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