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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 116 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. tear — from crying
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. firm — a company
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — low music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — the fish
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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