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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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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bass — low music
  7. pop — music
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pop — soda
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pop — to visit
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cold — an illness
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. trunk — of a car

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