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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bass — low music
  3. face — to confront
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. firm — steady
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. firm — decided
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. clip — for paper
  11. present — a gift
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wind — moving air
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. firm — a company
  17. bass — the fish
  18. present — the time now
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bass — the instrument

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