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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rest — what's left
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. season — in sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. spell — letters
  10. bass — the fish
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. season — of the year
  17. bass — low music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. face — to point toward
  21. spell — magic
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rest — a break

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