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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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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: tear · rock · bass · cue · mark · bowl · wake · wound

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rock — music
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bass — low music
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bowl — a dish

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