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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tube — a container
  24. lie — an untruth

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