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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. bass — the fish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bass — low music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. chest — a box
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lean — to bend
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chest — of your body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. bear — to put up with
  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