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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. kick — in football
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fall — the season
  8. cell — in biology
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cue — a signal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bass — low music
  20. roll — a list
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cue — for pool

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