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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pop — music
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pop — soda
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wound — an injury
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bass — low music
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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