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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — obliged
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fall — the season
  13. spell — magic
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bound — certain
  16. root — of a word
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. root — the cause
  19. bound — tied together
  20. spell — letters
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bass — the instrument

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