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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. shower — rain
  9. swing — in golf
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bass — low music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wax — to grow
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ruler — a monarch

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