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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: cap · bass · land · lie · staff · wave · rock · roll

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rock — a stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rock — music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — low music
  17. land — to come down
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cap — of ice
  20. roll — a list
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. roll — a cake

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