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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. tube — a container
  4. staff — employees
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bass — low music
  16. stock — shares
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stock — goods
  19. staff — employees
  20. fall — the season
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mug — a face

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