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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tear — from crying
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bass — low music
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. ground — a position
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bass — the fish
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. key — the most important part
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. key — in music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ground — crushed
  22. tear — to rip
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. toast — bread

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