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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bass — the fish
  7. toast — bread
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. tube — the underground
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — to paddle
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. row — a line
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. tube — a container
  24. bass — the instrument

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