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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bass — low music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chest — a box
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chest — of your body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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