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

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bear — the animal
  6. key — in music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bear — the animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bass — low music
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bear — to put up with

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