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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cue — a hint
  3. craft — boats
  4. current — of water
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — in music
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bass — low music

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