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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bass — low music
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bound — certain
  24. bass — the fish

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