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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.

Make a worksheet

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: shower · toast · hand · bass · mine · rush · mug · jam

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. hand — in cards
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. hand — help
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bass — low music
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mug — a face
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. toast — bread
  21. rush — hurry
  22. shower — rain
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. shower — a meteor shower

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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