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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 124 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. spell — a short time
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. spell — letters
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. chest — a box
  14. fall — the season
  15. bass — low music
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. toast — bread
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pop — to visit
  24. spell — magic

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