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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. track — a path
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitch — completely
  7. face — to confront
  8. chest — of your body
  9. track — a song
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mate — a friend
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. chest — of your body
  24. deal — a big deal

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