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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. face — to confront
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. snap — to click
  9. bass — low music
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. season — of the year
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bass — the fish
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. season — in sport
  24. face — to point toward

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