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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bass — the fish
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rash — a series
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. shower — rain
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rash — hasty
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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