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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. spell — magic
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fine — all right
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bore — to drill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. spell — letters

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