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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cue — a hint
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. content — happy
  7. current — electric
  8. cue — for pool
  9. current — happening now
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. bass — the fish
  13. content — the amount
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wind — moving air
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. current — of water
  23. wind — moving air
  24. safe — a strongbox

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