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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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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: bat · wind · game · bass · wave · mark · ruler · fall

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fall — the season
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bass — low music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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