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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lean — to bend
  3. land — to come down
  4. bass — the fish
  5. current — happening now
  6. lean — thin
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. land — a country
  14. current — of water
  15. bass — low music
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. land — ground
  20. band — a music group
  21. mug — a cup
  22. current — electric
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. band — a ring

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