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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bass — low music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — to recline
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mark — a trace
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bass — the fish
  11. shower — rain
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. snap — to click
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — for pool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cue — a signal
  20. club — for golf
  21. mark — a grade
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. cue — a hint

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