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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. face — to confront
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. press — to push
  7. current — electric
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. press — a publisher
  10. key — in music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. face — part of the head
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bass — the fish
  20. current — happening now
  21. key — for a lock
  22. current — of water
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — to point toward

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