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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fall — to drop
  5. swing — music
  6. bound — certain
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bass — low music
  9. bound — obliged
  10. swing — to play on
  11. face — to confront
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bank — for money
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mate — a friend
  24. face — part of the head

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