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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pop — music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kick — in football
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — a trail
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cabinet — ministers

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