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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. band — a ring
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ball — a great time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. hand — help
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. hand — in cards
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ball — a dance
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bass — low music

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