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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — low music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bass — the fish
  11. tube — a container
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. craft — a skill
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. craft — boats
  17. rush — hurry
  18. snap — to click

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