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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mate — a friend
  3. clip — a video
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mate — a partner
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bass — low music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. temple — side of the head

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