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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. spring — a coil
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. spring — the season
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spring — of water
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to confront
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chest — a box
  21. rash — a series
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bass — low music
  24. face — to point toward

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