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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: prune · bass · rush · wave · drill · firm · file · fall

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. firm — decided
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. file — a tool
  10. fall — the season
  11. drill — a practice
  12. firm — a company
  13. file — a line of people
  14. firm — steady
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. drill — army training
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rush — hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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