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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. spring — of water
  5. net — after costs
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bass — low music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — in music
  12. net — in sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — the fish
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. spring — the season
  22. sharp — clever
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. net — for catching

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