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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.

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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: bear · bass · fall · cue · safe · rash · cap · prune

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rash — a series
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cue — for pool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bass — low music

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