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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · tube · suit · scale · tear · snap · bass · rush

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. tube — a container
  5. suit — in cards
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rush — hurry
  8. tube — the underground
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. suit — clothes
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. suit — to fit
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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