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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stock — shares
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. object — a thing
  7. wind — moving air
  8. toast — bread
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bass — low music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. object — to protest
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stock — goods
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. object — an aim

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