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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. toast — bread
  7. bass — the fish
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. wind — moving air
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. face — part of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to confront
  18. root — the cause
  19. bass — low music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. root — of a plant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. root — of a word

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