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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. suit — to fit
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wind — moving air
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — low music
  11. game — a match
  12. rash — a series
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. suit — clothes
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bank — of a river
  22. sharp — clever
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wind — moving air

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