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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bass — the fish
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pop — music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pop — soda
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bass — low music

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