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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. last — finally
  3. bass — the fish
  4. last — final
  5. can — a tin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bass — low music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — in cards
  19. last — to go on
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. hand — help
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mouse — the animal

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