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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. key — in music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — the month
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. band — a ring
  14. key — for a lock
  15. face — to confront
  16. march — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. face — part of the head
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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