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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. present — the time now
  4. shower — rain
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bass — low music
  8. present — a gift
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. present — there

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