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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: lie · toast · spring · rule · ball · mate · object · bass

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. spring — the season
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. object — an aim
  9. toast — bread
  10. bass — the fish
  11. object — to protest
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bass — low music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. object — a thing
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. spring — of water
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ball — a dance
  24. toast — the most admired

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