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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · lean · calf · wave · field · fall · bass · can

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bass — low music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fall — to drop
  10. can — a tin
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. field — a subject
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. field — farmland
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. field — for sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — thin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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