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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pound — a weight
  5. last — to go on
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bass — low music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ball — a great time
  15. capital — a city
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. capital — money
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. last — final
  22. face — to confront
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — finally

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