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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bass — low music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. club — a group
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cold — an illness
  12. club — for golf
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. spell — a short time

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