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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wound — an injury
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bass — low music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fork — in a road

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