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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mine — for digging
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bear — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mine — belonging to me

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