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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 124 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. object — to protest
  4. present — the time now
  5. object — an aim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lie — to recline
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — a gift
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. game — a match
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. game — wild animals
  17. object — a thing
  18. hand — help
  19. present — there
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. hand — part of the body

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