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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. can — to be able to
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. can — a tin
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bark — to shout
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wind — moving air

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