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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. press — to push
  11. sharp — clever
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. press — newspapers

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