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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — to go on
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pop — music
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — to visit
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. capital — a city
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. present — there
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — the time now
  15. last — final
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — a gift
  18. bass — low music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lie — to recline
  22. capital — money
  23. saw — the tool
  24. last — finally

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