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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bank — of a river
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bank — for money
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rest — what's left
  8. row — a line
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — low music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fall — the season
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — in sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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