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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. kid — child
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. firm — decided
  13. bound — certain
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bass — low music
  19. firm — steady
  20. fork — in a road
  21. firm — a company
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fan — a supporter

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