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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.

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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — low music
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wound — an injury

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