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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · kick · saw · bay · fan · bowl · wound · patient

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bass — the fish
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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