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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: fall · land · firm · bass · club · wake · wave · object

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. club — a group
  2. bass — low music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. club — for dancing
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. object — an aim
  15. firm — a company
  16. bass — the fish
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. land — ground
  20. club — for golf
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fall — the season
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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