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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. chair — a leader
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. band — a ring
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bass — the fish
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fall — the season
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bass — low music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. band — a music group
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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