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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. key — in music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pass — a permit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. row — a line
  12. key — for a lock
  13. row — to paddle
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. key — the most important part
  17. swing — music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bass — the fish
  21. swing — to play on
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. shower — rain
  24. hide — to keep secret

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