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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — low music
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. spell — magic
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spell — letters
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. land — ground
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wind — moving air
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — a sick person

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