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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 124 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wind — moving air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chair — a leader
  11. tube — a container
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pass — a permit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. chair — to sit on

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