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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bass — low music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bass — the fish
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. face — to point toward
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bat — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. row — a line
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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