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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. scale — in music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. capital — a city
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bass — low music
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. snap — to click
  23. bass — the fish
  24. capital — money

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