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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bass — low music
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mate — a friend
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — after costs
  9. mate — a partner
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rest — a break
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. net — in sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mate — to breed
  20. face — to confront
  21. bank — of a river
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rest — what's left
  24. net — for catching

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