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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. chest — of your body
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chest — a box
  7. bass — the fish
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. drill — the tool
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. drill — army training
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. squash — to crush

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