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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bass — low music
  3. ground — a position
  4. swing — music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. press — newspapers
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lie — to recline
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bass — the fish
  22. swing — in golf
  23. press — to push
  24. shower — rain

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