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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 124 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. tube — a container
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. can — a tin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — a tin
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. swing — in golf
  14. row — a line
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bass — the fish
  17. row — to paddle
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bass — low music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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