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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bass — low music
  3. date — the fruit
  4. club — a group
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. club — for dancing
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. foot — a measure
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bass — the fish
  24. club — for golf

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