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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: scale · swing · firm · kick · bass · wave · rest · rash

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bass — low music
  3. rest — a break
  4. firm — decided
  5. swing — music
  6. firm — steady
  7. bass — the fish
  8. kick — in football
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. swing — in golf
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. firm — a company
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rash — on the skin

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