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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. shower — rain
  3. firm — steady
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — wild animals
  6. scale — size or range
  7. plane — a tool
  8. shower — to wash
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lie — to recline
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. scale — in music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bass — the fish
  19. firm — a company
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — decided
  24. bass — low music

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