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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bass — the fish
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. can — a tin
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wake — a trail
  9. charge — a price
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bass — low music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. can — a tin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. net — after costs
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. net — in sport
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. charge — in control
  23. row — a line
  24. can — to be able to

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