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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · scale · rest · bank · lie · wound · deal · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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 — low music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. deal — to handle
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — in music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. scale — size or range
  16. sharp — clever
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bank — for money
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  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