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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. staff — a stick
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bound — certain
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bass — low music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bass — the fish
  16. ground — crushed
  17. staff — employees
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ground — the earth
  21. staff — employees
  22. ground — a position
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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