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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bass — low music
  3. cold — not warm
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. bass — the fish
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cold — an illness
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — a law
  24. fan — a supporter

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