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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bear — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bass — low music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. saw — the tool
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. saw — the tool
  24. shower — rain

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