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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cap — of ice
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bass — low music
  6. spring — a coil
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bass — the fish
  9. hand — help
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spring — the season
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. spring — of water
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cap — a lid
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — certain
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bound — obliged

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