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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. track — to keep track
  9. clip — for paper
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. track — a song
  12. board — to get on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a path
  15. board — a committee
  16. kick — in football
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. clip — to cut
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bass — low music
  21. clip — a video
  22. rash — a series
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rash — hasty

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