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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — a lid
  12. tube — a container
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cap — a hat
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cap — of ice

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