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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. last — final
  4. object — to protest
  5. shower — rain
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. object — an aim
  10. bass — the fish
  11. firm — decided
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. firm — a company
  17. object — a thing
  18. last — finally
  19. suit — in cards
  20. last — to go on
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. firm — steady
  23. shower — to wash
  24. trunk — of a car

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