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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lean — to bend
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bass — low music
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. staff — employees
  12. pop — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lean — thin

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