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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.

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: rest · bass · dip · chip · wave · rash · mine · scale

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rest — a break
  3. mine — for digging
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — hasty
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chip — to eat
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rash — a series
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rest — what's left

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