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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bass — low music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bear — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. current — happening now
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hand — help
  23. current — of water
  24. bass — the instrument

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