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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. sharp — clever
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rash — a series
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. face — to confront
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bore — to tire

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