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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. swing — music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. swing — to play on
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rock — a stone
  14. spell — magic
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bass — low music
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rock — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. spell — letters
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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