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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wave — with your hand

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