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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. spring — a coil
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bass — low music
  17. spring — the season
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rock — music
  23. spring — of water
  24. rock — a stone

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