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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.

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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: fall · bulb · wave · file · pass · roll · bass · hand

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — low music
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fall — the season
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. file — a document
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. hand — help
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. file — a tool
  24. bass — the fish

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