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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.

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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. prune — to trim
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mug — a cup
  6. current — of water
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. prune — to trim
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. mug — a face
  12. current — electric
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. current — happening now
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music

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