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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mug — a cup
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bass — low music
  15. rock — music
  16. toast — bread
  17. rock — a stone
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — a division
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bass — the fish
  24. face — to confront

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