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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. kid — child
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. bass — low music
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bass — the fish
  17. land — a country
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. land — ground
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. land — to come down
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bass — the instrument

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