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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tear — from crying
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. deal — to handle
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. tear — from crying
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — the fish
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. tear — to rip
  22. can — a tin
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bass — low music

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