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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lie — to recline
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. season — in sport
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — boats
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — of the year
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bass — low music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. craft — a handicraft

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