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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: row · bass · mug · wake · stand · sharp · leaves · key

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. key — the most important part
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — in music
  8. row — a line
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. key — for a lock
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mug — a face
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bass — low music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mug — a cup

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