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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. object — a thing
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. object — to protest
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. object — an aim
  19. can — a tin
  20. content — happy
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bass — low music
  23. can — a tin
  24. content — the amount

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