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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: wave · bat · press · bark · can · bass · leaves · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — a tin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. press — to push
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. can — a tin
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wind — moving air
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. press — a publisher
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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