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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mug — a cup
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. bank — for money
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rash — a series
  11. mug — a face
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bank — for money
  23. pit — a hole
  24. temple — a place of worship

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