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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rest — a break
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. march — the month
  8. fall — the season
  9. march — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — rain
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bank — for money
  14. object — to protest
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — a thing
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — to recline
  23. object — an aim
  24. lie — an untruth

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