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

Word bank: bear · file · toast · bass · cell · swing · row · wound

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cell — in biology
  6. swing — music
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bear — the animal
  9. file — a tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. toast — bread
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. file — a document
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bass — the fish
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. row — a line
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bass — the instrument

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