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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. swing — music
  4. drill — the tool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. drill — army training
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. row — to paddle
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bass — low music
  14. mate — to breed
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. band — a ring
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mate — a friend
  20. drill — a practice
  21. row — a line
  22. snap — to click
  23. mate — a partner
  24. swing — to play on

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