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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. staff — employees
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pop — to visit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pop — soda
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. face — to confront
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. staff — employees
  20. pop — music
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chair — a leader

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