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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: date · wind · lie · bass · bulb · firm · mate · stick

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lie — to recline
  4. firm — a company
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bass — the fish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. firm — steady
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bass — low music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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