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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. capital — a city
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. capital — money
  13. file — a tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ground — the earth
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lie — to recline

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