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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rest — a break
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — music
  6. land — to come down
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mug — to rob
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lie — to recline
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mug — a face
  24. fan — to cool the air

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