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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. firm — a company
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bass — low music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — to point toward
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pit — a hole
  10. shower — rain
  11. firm — decided
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pit — in a race
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. face — part of the head
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. face — to confront
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — steady
  24. vault — a safe

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