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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — in music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rest — a break
  13. face — to point toward
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — low music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — the fish
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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