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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fall — to drop
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bass — low music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — to crush
  8. face — to confront
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fall — the season
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. can — a tin
  14. court — of a king
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. court — of law
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. court — for sport
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. face — part of the head

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