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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bass — low music
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rash — a series
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stand — to bear
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mug — a cup
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mug — a face
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bass — the fish
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rash — hasty
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — a match
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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