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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. sharp — clever
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cap — a hat
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — certain
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bass — low music
  18. pop — music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pop — soda
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. sharp — with an edge

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