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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. capital — a city
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. present — there
  5. bass — the fish
  6. capital — money
  7. craft — boats
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. present — the time now
  11. lean — to bend
  12. present — a gift
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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