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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. snap — to click
  3. bass — the fish
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. club — a group
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bass — low music
  10. firm — steady
  11. branch — a division
  12. club — for golf
  13. firm — a company
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. firm — decided
  16. row — to paddle
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bulb — for light
  20. club — for dancing
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. row — a line
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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