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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lean — thin
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bass — the fish
  16. face — to confront
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bank — for money
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cap — a hat

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