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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — to visit
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rock — a stone
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rest — a break
  13. pop — music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pop — soda
  17. kid — child
  18. rock — music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stand — to bear

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