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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 124 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bass — low music
  8. charge — electricity
  9. club — a group
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. charge — a price
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. club — for golf
  14. hand — help
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. toast — bread
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. club — for dancing
  22. charge — in control
  23. chest — a box
  24. snap — to click

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