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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cold — an illness
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. present — there
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bass — low music
  17. cold — not warm
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rock — music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. present — the time now
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. present — a gift

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