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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mine — for digging
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bass — the fish
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. suit — to fit
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to click
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — low music
  24. jam — in traffic

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