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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pop — music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — the fish
  6. face — to confront
  7. track — to keep track
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bass — low music
  10. lean — thin
  11. swing — music
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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