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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ball — a great time
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wound — an injury
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rush — a thrill

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