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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. swing — in golf
  8. last — finally
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. track — a path
  12. last — to go on
  13. track — a song
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — music
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. snap — to click
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. last — final
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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