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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · saw · lie · row · content · cue · pop · wave

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. row — a line
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pop — soda
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pop — music
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cue — for pool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. content — the amount
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bass — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. content — happy

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