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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: rush · land · cold · bowl · mark · lean · bass · mouse

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. land — to come down
  23. bass — low music
  24. bowl — a dish

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