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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — shares
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fine — high quality
  8. swing — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bass — the fish
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stock — goods
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. swing — to play on
  20. kick — in football
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. swing — in golf

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