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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. current — of water
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — low music
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wound — an injury
  17. current — electric
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. current — happening now
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wound — an injury

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