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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. bass — low music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cold — not warm
  23. foot — the bottom
  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