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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bass — the fish
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. object — an aim
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rash — a series
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tube — the underground
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. tube — a container
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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