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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tube — a container
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chest — a box
  19. rock — music
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bass — low music

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