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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 116 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: kick · squash · ruler · pop · stick · fall · bass · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — the season
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bass — low music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pop — soda
  22. fall — to drop
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pop — music

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