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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. object — an aim
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bass — low music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lie — to recline
  16. object — a thing
  17. cold — not warm
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bass — the fish
  21. swing — music
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lie — an untruth

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