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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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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: saw · rush · dip · bulb · prune · bass · wound · rule

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rule — a law
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rule — government
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — to trim

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