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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pop — soda
  4. last — final
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pop — music
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. saw — the tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. last — to go on
  14. bass — low music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. last — finally
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. game — a match
  24. lie — an untruth

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