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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rock — a stone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rock — music
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cell — in biology
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cell — a phone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bass — the fish

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