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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 116 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: pit · staff · wind · suit · bass · trunk · fall · mouse

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fall — to drop
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fall — the season
  17. pit — a hole
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. suit — to fit
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fall — to drop

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