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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fine — all right
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mark — a trace
  23. hide — animal skin
  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