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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 120 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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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: rash · fall · spell · firm · bass · hide · bore · last

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rash — a series
  3. last — final
  4. spell — letters
  5. firm — steady
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. last — finally
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rash — hasty
  15. spell — magic
  16. firm — decided
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — low music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. fall — the season
  23. firm — a company
  24. last — to go on

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