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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — employees
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bass — the fish
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. toast — bread
  20. craft — boats
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. staff — a stick

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