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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bass — low music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. march — the month
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pop — music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — the fish
  18. march — the month
  19. pop — soda
  20. march — music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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