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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pop — soda
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pop — music
  17. rest — a break
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bass — low music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pop — to visit
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bass — the instrument

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