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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mug — a cup
  6. spring — of water
  7. shower — rain
  8. mug — a face
  9. kick — in football
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cell — a phone
  20. shower — to wash
  21. suit — clothes
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. spring — the season
  24. cell — in biology

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