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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — for catching
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cell — in biology
  5. present — the time now
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bound — certain
  8. scale — size or range
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. scale — in music
  11. present — a gift
  12. bound — tied together
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. row — a line
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — in sport
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bass — low music
  20. net — after costs
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — there
  24. lie — to recline

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