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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: leaves · rest · stick · firm · arm · wake · cold · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. firm — decided
  3. cold — an illness
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. firm — steady
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. firm — a company
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rest — a break
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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