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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chest — of your body
  5. roll — a list
  6. chest — a box
  7. bass — the fish
  8. branch — a division
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. roll — a cake

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