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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spring — of water
  3. swing — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bass — low music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — certain
  14. spring — the season
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bass — the fish
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — a thrill

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