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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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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bass — low music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. net — for catching
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pop — soda
  10. rest — a break
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — after costs
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — in sport
  24. rock — music

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