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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught 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. snap — to snap out of it
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bass — low music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. snap — to click
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. board — to get on
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. board — a committee
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mate — a friend
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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