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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. swing — music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. can — to be able to
  7. object — to protest
  8. swing — in golf
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bass — low music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. swing — to play on
  16. face — to confront
  17. object — an aim
  18. face — to point toward
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bass — the fish
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. wake — a trail
  24. object — a thing

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