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

Word bank: lie · fan · foot · bay · firm · stick · bass · snap

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — low music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lie — to recline
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. firm — a company
  14. foot — a measure
  15. firm — steady
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. firm — decided
  24. lie — an untruth

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