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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mug — a face
  8. bass — low music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wound — an injury
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fall — the season
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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