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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · squash · bass · bear · lie · sharp · mug · roll

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bass — low music
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fine — high quality
  7. sharp — clever
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fine — all right
  13. lie — to recline
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mug — to rob
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bear — the animal

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