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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bass — the fish
  4. staff — a stick
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. staff — employees
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ball — a dance
  14. kid — child
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rock — music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. staff — employees
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bass — low music

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