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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — high quality
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fine — all right
  9. net — after costs
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — for catching
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. snap — to click
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. net — in sport
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. trunk — of a car

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