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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. hand — help
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. club — for golf
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tube — a container
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rush — hurry
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. bass — the fish

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