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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. object — a thing
  6. cell — in biology
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — goods
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bass — low music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. object — an aim
  23. lie — to recline
  24. object — to protest

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