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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mate — a partner
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bass — low music

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