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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. hand — in cards
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. scale — in music
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a music group
  9. can — to be able to
  10. board — to get on
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fall — the season
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. board — a committee
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hand — help
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bass — low music
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a ring

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