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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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 — low music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pop — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fall — the season
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. row — to paddle
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — soda
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. can — a tin
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fall — to drop
  22. row — a line
  23. suit — clothes
  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