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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. firm — decided
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. firm — a company
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hand — in cards
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hand — help
  15. firm — steady
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — low music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. tube — a container
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bass — the fish
  23. snap — to click
  24. tube — in a tire

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