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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chest — a box
  4. bass — low music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lie — to recline
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — in music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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