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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. suit — to fit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — a city
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — the fish
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. suit — in cards
  17. capital — money
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. prune — to trim
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bark — to shout
  24. straw — dry grass

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