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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spell — a short time
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bass — the fish
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to confront
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rule — a law
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. present — there
  16. toast — bread
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rule — government
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. present — the time now
  23. foot — a measure
  24. present — a gift

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