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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.

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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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. bear — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pop — soda
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mug — a face
  17. pop — music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pop — to visit
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mug — a cup

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