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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stand — to bear
  24. straw — dry grass

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