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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. squash — the sport
  6. tube — the underground
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cap — a hat
  10. suit — clothes
  11. tube — a container
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. face — part of the head
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pit — a hole
  18. face — to confront
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. squash — to crush

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