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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fall — the season
  7. bass — low music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — thin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — a leader
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fall — to drop

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