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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. scale — in music
  3. bass — low music
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hand — help
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. track — a path
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — a song
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. scale — size or range
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bass — the fish

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