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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rash — a series
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. date — the fruit
  6. chest — a box
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. band — a music group
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bass — the fish
  16. game — a match
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bass — low music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. band — a ring
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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