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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.

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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cabinet — ministers

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