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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rash — a series
  11. can — a tin
  12. swing — music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rash — hasty
  24. can — to be able to

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