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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bound — obliged
  5. court — for sport
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bass — the fish
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bound — certain
  10. court — of a king
  11. band — a music group
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — tied together
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bass — low music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. court — of law
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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