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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rock — music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. present — there
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. present — the time now
  11. bass — low music
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rush — hurry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. shower — rain
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. present — a gift
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bulb — for light

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