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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bass — low music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. chest — of your body
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rest — a break
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pound — a weight

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