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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. band — a music group
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. band — a ring
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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