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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mug — to rob
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mug — a face
  9. pop — soda
  10. vault — a safe
  11. face — part of the head
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. clip — a video
  20. face — to confront
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bass — low music
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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