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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bass — low music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. charge — electricity
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. charge — in control
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bass — the fish
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wake — a trail
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — hurry
  23. charge — a price
  24. club — for dancing

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