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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rock — music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bass — low music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cold — not warm
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cold — the Cold War

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