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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. net — for catching
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. file — a tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a document
  10. fork — in a road
  11. file — a line of people
  12. net — after costs
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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