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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.

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: land · rock · lean · bass · ground · rule · racket · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ground — a position
  3. rule — government
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. rule — a law
  7. ground — the earth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. land — a country
  18. lean — thin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — low music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lean — to bend

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