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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 124 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rash — a series
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. key — in music
  8. bass — low music
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wake — a trail
  19. key — the most important part
  20. face — to confront
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rush — hurry

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