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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. last — final
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. last — finally
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lie — to recline
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — shares
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — army training
  20. stock — goods
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. last — to go on
  24. squash — the sport

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