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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bass — the fish
  4. band — a music group
  5. bass — low music
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. band — a ring
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. land — to come down
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fall — to drop
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fall — to drop

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