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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fine — all right
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rest — a break
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rock — music
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cue — a signal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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