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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. clip — to cut
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. roll — a list
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — for paper
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bass — low music
  18. toast — bread
  19. clip — a video
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — the fish
  22. roll — a cake
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bowl — a dish

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