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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rash — a series
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bass — the fish
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bass — low 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