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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mark — a trace
  9. spell — magic
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spell — letters
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bass — low music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. spell — a short time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. trunk — of a tree

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