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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. race — the arms race
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. race — humankind
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spring — a coil
  16. season — in sport
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. spring — the season
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. race — a contest
  22. season — of the year
  23. spring — of water
  24. ruler — for measuring

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