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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bass — low music
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — army training
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — to recline
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hand — help
  22. key — in music
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. drill — a practice

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