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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. present — the time now
  5. squash — the sport
  6. face — to confront
  7. suit — clothes
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mate — a partner
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mate — a friend
  12. row — to paddle
  13. present — a gift
  14. row — a line
  15. squash — to crush
  16. present — there
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mate — to breed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. face — to point toward
  24. squash — the vegetable

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