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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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 — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. board — to get on
  5. suit — clothes
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cold — an illness
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the fish
  11. board — a committee
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. suit — to fit
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chair — a leader
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cold — not warm
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. suit — in cards
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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