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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. present — there
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rule — a law
  8. track — to keep track
  9. present — a gift
  10. kid — child
  11. mug — a face
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bass — low music
  15. present — the time now
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rule — government
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. track — a song
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. track — a path

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