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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. shower — rain
  3. charge — a price
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rule — government
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pass — a permit
  10. charge — in control
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — in football
  16. rule — a law
  17. bass — the fish
  18. shower — to wash
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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