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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: wave · row · bass · mouse · hand · lean · stick · mine

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. hand — in cards
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lean — thin
  17. row — a line
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lean — to bend
  21. hand — help
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mouse — the animal

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