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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. present — the time now
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. present — there
  11. root — the cause
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. chip — to eat
  14. root — of a word
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chip — for betting
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chair — a leader
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. vault — a safe
  24. present — a gift

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