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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ground — a position
  11. bass — the fish
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lie — to recline
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wind — to turn a key

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