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

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. object — a thing
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. spell — magic
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spell — letters
  17. bound — certain
  18. bass — the fish

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