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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. suit — to fit
  6. face — to confront
  7. suit — in cards
  8. current — electric
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bass — the fish
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. bass — low music
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. shower — to wash
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ground — a position
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. face — to point toward
  21. shower — rain
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ground — crushed

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