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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bass — low music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cold — an illness
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cold — not warm
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. snap — to click
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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