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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rest — what's left
  5. face — to confront
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chest — a box
  12. rest — a break
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bass — low music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pop — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bass — the instrument

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