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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. face — to confront
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bound — certain
  9. kick — in football
  10. pop — soda
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. ground — a position
  14. pop — music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cap — a hat
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ground — crushed
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cap — of ice

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