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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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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: bass · lie · fall · sharp · key · staff · prune · wake

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bass — low music
  3. key — in music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fall — the season
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. staff — employees
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wake — a trail
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bass — the fish
  24. key — the most important part

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