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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. pit — in a race
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. lie — to recline
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spring — of water
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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