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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bass — low music
  3. chest — a box
  4. board — to get on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spell — letters
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chest — of your body
  14. net — in sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. net — after costs
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. net — for catching
  20. lie — to recline
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — a committee

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