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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — to tease
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bass — the fish
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fall — the season
  14. can — to be able to
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. bass — low music
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kid — child
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. straw — dry grass

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