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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. shower — to wash
  3. kid — to tease
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. key — the most important part
  6. shower — rain
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. key — for a lock
  9. kid — child
  10. bass — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. key — in music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lean — thin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. board — to get on
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bass — low music
  21. board — a committee
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. perch — 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