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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.

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: spell · rock · foot · prune · rule · stand · bass · file

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. spell — magic
  3. file — a document
  4. rule — a law
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bass — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. file — a tool
  11. rule — government
  12. rock — music
  13. stand — to bear
  14. file — a line of people
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. prune — to trim
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stand — on your feet

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