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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. bass — low music
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bass — the fish
  17. chair — a leader
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. firm — a company
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bass — the instrument

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