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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rest — a break
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bass — low music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bank — for money
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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