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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. march — the month
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. march — music
  10. firm — decided
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cue — for pool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. sharp — clever
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cue — a hint
  22. firm — a company
  23. press — a publisher
  24. march — the month

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