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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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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: mate · game · lean · craft · rock · club · bass · lie

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. craft — boats
  3. mate — to breed
  4. club — a group
  5. lean — thin
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rock — music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lean — to bend
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bass — the fish
  17. game — a match
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mate — a friend
  23. club — for golf
  24. lie — to recline

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