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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bass — low music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — a measure
  10. charge — a price
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. charge — in control
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rock — music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bass — the instrument

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