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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — the fish
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — a break
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — the time now
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — low music
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. present — there
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — a match
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bass — the instrument

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