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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — a company
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — decided
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. face — to confront
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. firm — steady
  15. mate — to breed
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mate — a friend
  18. face — part of the head
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bass — low music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — to point toward
  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