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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 124 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — to recline
  7. swing — music
  8. bass — low music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. board — a committee
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. board — to get on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wound — an injury
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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