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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. firm — steady
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bass — the fish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — thin
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mug — a face
  16. squash — to crush
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bass — low music
  19. firm — decided
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. firm — a company
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lean — to rest against

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