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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rock — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. band — a music group
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bass — low music
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cell — in biology
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cell — a phone
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. kick — in football
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cell — in a prison

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