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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bass — the fish
  3. row — to paddle
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — a tin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. branch — a division
  12. chest — of your body
  13. can — a tin
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. row — a line
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chest — a box
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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