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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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468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bass — low music
  5. cell — in biology
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pass — a permit
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cell — a phone
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitcher — a jug

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