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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. club — a group
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — the fish
  8. club — for golf
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — a path
  16. fall — the season
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. track — a song
  19. club — for dancing
  20. track — to keep track
  21. drill — a practice
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rush — hurry
  24. drill — the tool

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