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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.

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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: pound · swing · present · bass · rule · wind · fall · dip

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wind — moving air
  4. present — there
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fall — to drop
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rule — government
  9. swing — music
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bass — low music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fall — the season
  20. rule — a law
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. swing — in golf
  23. present — the time now
  24. dip — to dunk

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