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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spell — letters
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — low music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mug — a cup
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. march — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a face
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wound — an injury

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