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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: mine · fall · fork · wind · pass · stand · root · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fall — the season
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. root — of a word
  13. pass — a permit
  14. root — the cause
  15. bass — low music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wind — moving air

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