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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. face — to confront
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bound — obliged
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. spring — of water
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bound — certain
  18. bass — low music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. face — part of the head

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