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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bass — the fish
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. face — part of the head
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. court — of a king
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. court — for sport
  14. rock — music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bass — low music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. face — to confront
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. court — of law
  22. mine — for digging
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bowl — a dish

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