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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bass — low music
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. file — a line of people
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fall — the season
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. file — a tool
  12. pop — soda
  13. file — a document
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. squash — to crush
  18. hand — in cards
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hand — help

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