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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 116 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: bore · straw · fine · mark · fall · bass · club · wave

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fall — the season
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. mark — a grade
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. club — a group
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. club — for golf
  20. bass — low music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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