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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. file — a line of people
  4. swing — in golf
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — low music
  14. rule — a law
  15. lie — to recline
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bass — the fish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — to play on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. swing — music
  23. rule — government
  24. foot — a measure

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