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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bass — low music
  4. rash — a series
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bat — the animal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rest — a break
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. ball — a dance
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ball — a round shape

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