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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fine — all right
  4. bulb — for light
  5. last — final
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. file — a document
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — finally
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. file — a tool
  20. last — to go on
  21. bass — the fish
  22. scale — in music
  23. bass — low music
  24. scale — for weighing

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