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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. shower — rain
  8. kick — in football
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fine — all right
  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