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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. date — the fruit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wound — an injury
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lean — to bend
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — thin

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