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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 124 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. charge — a price
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spell — letters
  6. face — part of the head
  7. firm — decided
  8. spell — magic
  9. charge — in control
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. firm — a company
  14. cue — for pool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cue — a signal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. bass — the fish
  23. firm — steady
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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