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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chest — a box
  11. bore — to drill
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chest — of your body
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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