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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. net — after costs
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. net — for catching
  10. bat — the animal
  11. net — in sport
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bass — low music
  14. face — to confront
  15. row — a line
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. row — a quarrel

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