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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — low music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cell — in a prison

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