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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bass — the fish
  10. object — an aim
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fall — the season
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fall — to drop
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. object — to protest
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. object — a thing
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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