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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: stand · bass · prune · wound · fan · tube · bowl · lie

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. tube — a container
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lie — an untruth

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