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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. object — an aim
  3. cell — a phone
  4. swing — music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — to protest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. swing — in golf
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bass — low music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. object — a thing
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bass — the fish

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