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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. track — a path
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lean — thin
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bass — low music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. spring — of water
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lean — to bend
  15. can — to be able to
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — a coil
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — a song
  24. spring — the season

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