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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. snap — to click
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. face — to confront
  14. bound — obliged
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. saw — the tool
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. lie — to recline
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. face — to point toward

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