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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rock — music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bass — low music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chip — to eat
  14. tube — a container
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. net — in sport
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chip — for betting
  22. snap — to click
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stand — for spectators

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