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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. track — a song
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — a path
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chest — a box
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bound — certain
  19. track — to keep track
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bass — low music
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lash — to lash out

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