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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. face — to point toward
  3. key — in music
  4. rock — music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. face — part of the head
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rock — a stone
  10. key — for a lock
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — to confront
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — electric
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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