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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. kick — in football
  11. suit — clothes
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. clip — a video
  17. bass — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. clip — for paper
  21. suit — to fit
  22. can — a tin
  23. clip — to cut
  24. spring — of water

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