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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mate — a partner

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