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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bass — low music
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bat — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wake — a trail

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