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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bass — low music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tube — the underground

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