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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. suit — clothes
  3. track — a path
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bass — low music
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rock — music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. suit — to fit
  12. clip — for paper
  13. track — a song
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lean — thin
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — a match
  21. clip — a video
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lean — to bend
  24. track — to keep track

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