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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spell — magic
  3. bass — low music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. chest — a box
  7. present — a gift
  8. face — to confront
  9. present — the time now
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bass — the fish
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cue — for pool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. face — part of the head
  21. present — there
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spell — letters

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