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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pop — music
  3. staff — employees
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lean — thin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bass — the fish
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pop — to visit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bass — low music
  18. pop — soda

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