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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rash — a series
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rash — hasty
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — rain

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