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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. swing — to play on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cabinet — ministers

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