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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · wound · fine · rush · scale · root · bass · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fall — the season
  4. rush — hurry
  5. root — of a word
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — all right
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. root — the cause

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