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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rush — hurry
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fine — all right
  21. wound — an injury
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bass — low music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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