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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. last — to go on
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. last — finally
  14. tear — to rip
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. deal — to handle
  18. last — final
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bass — the instrument

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