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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bass — low music
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. lean — thin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cold — not warm
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bass — the fish

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