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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: rest · stand · cue · net · fall · last · roll · bass

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. net — for catching
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fall — to drop
  5. last — final
  6. bass — low music
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — a list
  17. cue — a hint
  18. net — after costs
  19. fall — the season
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. net — in sport
  22. last — to go on
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stand — for spectators

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