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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bass — low music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. net — in sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. net — for catching
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. net — after costs
  13. charge — in control
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. charge — a price
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. last — final
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. trunk — of a car

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