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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bass — low music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. staff — employees
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wake — a trail
  16. shower — to wash
  17. clip — to cut
  18. staff — employees
  19. bass — the fish
  20. clip — a video
  21. shower — rain
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bear — the animal

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