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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hand — help
  7. rule — a law
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bass — the fish
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. hand — in cards
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rule — government
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bass — low music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. degree — an amount
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rule — to rule out

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