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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. snap — to click
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bass — the fish
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pass — a permit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. coach — a trainer

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