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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 124 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bass — low music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. staff — employees
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. drill — a practice
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. staff — a stick
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. drill — army training
  22. chest — of your body
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chest — a box

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