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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fine — all right
  7. cell — in biology
  8. shower — rain
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cell — a phone
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rush — hurry

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