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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fine — all right
  3. current — happening now
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bass — low music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. current — electric
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. current — of water
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rock — music
  24. straw — a straw man

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