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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.

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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: cue · bark · fall · swing · wave · rule · bass · bear

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cue — a signal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fall — the season
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bass — low music
  24. cue — for pool

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