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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
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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: object · hand · degree · fall · present · bass · lean · squash

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. present — the time now
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. present — a gift
  5. object — to protest
  6. fall — the season
  7. degree — an amount
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. object — an aim
  12. squash — the sport
  13. degree — from a university
  14. object — a thing
  15. bass — low music
  16. lean — thin
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. present — there
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lean — to bend
  23. squash — to crush
  24. degree — temperature

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