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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.

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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bass — low music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. charge — in control
  18. bass — the fish
  19. charge — a price
  20. ground — crushed
  21. charge — electricity
  22. suit — to fit
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mark — a trace

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