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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — a song
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tube — a container
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. kid — to tease
  15. tear — from crying
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. track — to keep track
  20. tube — the underground
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — a path
  23. kid — child
  24. bass — the instrument

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