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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rest — what's left
  4. sharp — clever
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. tube — a container
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. squash — the sport
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kick — in football
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — a permit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — a break
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. tube — the underground
  24. sharp — with an edge

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