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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bass — low music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — completely
  8. branch — a division
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ball — a great time
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bound — certain
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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