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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. shower — rain
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chip — for betting
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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