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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. face — to confront
  4. lean — thin
  5. face — part of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — of ice
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lean — to bend
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rash — hasty
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. can — to be able to
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rash — a series
  24. bark — of a tree

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