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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pop — soda
  3. object — to protest
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bass — the fish
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. object — an aim
  14. pop — to visit
  15. tear — from crying
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pop — music
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. object — a thing
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ruler — a monarch

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