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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bass — the fish
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. spell — letters
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — help
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bass — low music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spell — a short time
  24. trunk — of a car

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