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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — low music
  13. cell — a phone
  14. present — a gift
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bass — the fish
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. present — the time now
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — music
  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