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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. snap — to click
  15. chip — for betting
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. bass — the fish
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bass — low music

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