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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the fish
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pop — music
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. face — to confront
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bass — low music
  12. degree — temperature
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — to point toward
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. shower — rain
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rash — a series
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. shower — to wash
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rash — hasty
  24. degree — an amount

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