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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. staff — a stick
  3. last — final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. staff — employees
  7. lean — to bend
  8. net — after costs
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. staff — employees
  12. net — for catching
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lean — thin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. net — in sport
  20. last — finally
  21. chip — to eat
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. last — to go on

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