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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fall — to drop
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fall — the season
  7. staff — employees
  8. content — happy
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bass — the fish
  11. content — the amount
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. staff — employees
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. leaves — lets stay

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