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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: rush · root · rock · land · march · cell · bass · wave

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. root — of a word
  4. march — the month
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. root — the cause
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. march — music
  10. rock — music
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. march — the month
  14. cell — in biology
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rock — a stone
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rush — hurry
  24. land — to come down

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