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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bass — low music
  4. track — a path
  5. face — to confront
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. track — a song
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bore — to tire
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rock — a stone
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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