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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mate — to breed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. snap — to click
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wound — an injury

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