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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cue — a hint
  8. perch — the fish
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. face — part of the head
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cue — a signal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — low music
  23. face — to confront
  24. bat — in an idiom

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