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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bass — low music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rash — a series
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cap — a lid
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. content — happy
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cap — a hat

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