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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to click
  4. bass — low music
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rock — a stone
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rock — music
  20. mine — for digging
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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