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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. degree — temperature
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. degree — from a university
  17. deal — to handle
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chip — to eat
  24. coach — a trainer

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