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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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. trunk — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bass — the fish
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bear — the animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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