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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bass — low music
  14. net — after costs
  15. drill — army training
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. net — in sport
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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