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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. row — a line
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bass — the fish
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. suit — in cards
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rock — music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. row — to paddle
  24. suit — to fit

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