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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. season — in sport
  6. spell — magic
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bound — tied together
  11. season — of the year
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ground — a position
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bound — certain
  20. bass — low music
  21. spell — letters
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — a hat

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