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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mug — a face
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. scale — in music
  5. bass — low music
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rest — a break
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bass — the fish
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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