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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pop — soda
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pop — to visit
  8. last — to go on
  9. pop — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — in music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — finally
  16. face — part of the head
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bass — the fish
  19. last — final
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. face — to confront
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bass — low music

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