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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bass — low music
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. squash — the sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — electricity
  10. staff — a stick
  11. snap — to click
  12. tube — a container
  13. charge — a price
  14. squash — to crush
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — in control
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. staff — employees
  24. tube — the underground

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