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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lean — to bend
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — to point toward
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chip — to eat
  22. face — to confront
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lean — thin

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