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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cell — a phone
  8. object — an aim
  9. bass — low music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — to come down
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. object — a thing
  18. swing — music
  19. cell — in biology
  20. land — a country
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — for a hammer

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