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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · file · content · fan · bear · rest · leaves · row

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. row — a line
  10. file — a document
  11. content — the amount
  12. bass — the fish
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bass — low music
  15. content — happy
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — the animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rest — a break
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rest — what's left

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