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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 124 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cue — a signal
  6. roll — a cake
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. date — the fruit
  15. snap — to click
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. roll — a list
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lean — thin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bass — the fish

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