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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. sharp — clever
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pop — to visit

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