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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
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: mine · cue · arm · tear · rock · mate · can · bass

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — a tin
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rock — a stone
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rock — music
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bass — low music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cue — for pool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tear — from crying
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  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