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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mark — a grade
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — to sink
  12. band — a music group
  13. file — a line of people
  14. press — to push
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. file — a tool
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. file — a document
  23. press — a publisher
  24. dip — a sauce

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