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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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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 · rush · object · rest · ground · cold · rule · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. ground — a position
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. rest — a break
  9. object — to protest
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rule — government
  12. cold — an illness
  13. ground — the earth
  14. object — a thing
  15. ground — crushed
  16. object — an aim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cold — not warm
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bass — low music
  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