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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bass — the fish
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fine — all right
  12. cue — a hint
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bass — low music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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