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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cap — a lid
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. charge — electricity
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cap — a hat
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wax — to grow
  14. charge — in control
  15. cap — of ice
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. press — to push
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. spring — of water
  23. charge — a price
  24. spring — the season

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