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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. craft — boats
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stock — shares
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stock — goods
  24. mouse — the animal

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