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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fall — the season
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pop — soda
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bass — low music
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wind — moving air

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