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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bass — the fish
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. last — final
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fork — in a road

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