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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. kick — in football
  3. perch — the fish
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bass — low music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — newspapers
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. fork — in a road
  17. sharp — clever
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. press — to push
  24. sharp — exactly

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