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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: bass · fall · scale · stick · bay · wake · current · clip

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. clip — a video
  3. fall — the season
  4. scale — in music
  5. current — happening now
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. current — of water
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fall — to drop
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. current — electric
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bass — low music
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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