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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fine — all right
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fine — high quality
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. kick — in football
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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