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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. key — in music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. net — in sport
  8. mug — a cup
  9. face — to confront
  10. bulb — for light
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — for catching
  17. bass — low music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. face — to point toward
  23. net — after costs
  24. mug — a face

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