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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bass — low music
  3. cell — in biology
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bass — the fish
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. swing — to play on
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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