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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cap · rush · fall · bass · bowl · squash · fine · chest

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chest — a box
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fall — the season
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fine — all right
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bass — low music
  21. fine — high quality
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rush — hurry

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