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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bass — low music
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lie — to recline
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. drill — army training
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bass — the fish
  13. drill — the tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. object — an aim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. object — to protest
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pop — music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. coach — a trainer

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