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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bass — low music
  8. season — of the year
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. shower — rain
  18. wound — an injury
  19. season — in sport
  20. rock — music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. suit — in cards

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