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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bass — the fish
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bass — low music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. club — a group
  12. ball — a dance
  13. last — to go on
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ball — a great time
  18. last — finally
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rush — hurry
  22. last — final
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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