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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rule — a law
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. can — to be able to
  14. clip — a video
  15. suit — to fit
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rule — government
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. suit — in cards
  21. can — a tin
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rush — to hurry

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