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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. firm — a company
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rest — what's left
  5. row — a line
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rest — a break
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. firm — steady
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. firm — decided
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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