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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: key · present · bear · bass · kick · rest · lie · rock

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — the fish
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. key — in music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — music
  15. present — a gift
  16. key — for a lock
  17. kick — in football
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. present — the time now
  21. rest — a break
  22. bass — low music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. present — there

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