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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. game — a match
  10. toast — bread
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bass — the fish
  21. ground — the earth
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. game — wild animals
  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