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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. track — a song
  3. snap — to click
  4. can — to be able to
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. staff — employees
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. can — a tin
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. can — a tin
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — employees
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. track — to keep track

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