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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. tube — a container
  5. race — humankind
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. suit — clothes
  8. face — to confront
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rush — hurry
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rash — a series
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pit — in a race
  16. tube — the underground
  17. suit — to fit
  18. race — a contest
  19. pit — a hole
  20. race — the arms race
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. face — to point toward

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