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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · fall · rule · arm · bass · row · leaves · tube

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rule — a law
  3. tube — a container
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rule — government
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fall — the season
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — low music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. row — to paddle
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. row — a line
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fall — to drop
  24. leaves — lets stay

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