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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rush — hurry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. perch — the fish
  20. content — happy
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. bass — low music

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