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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.

Make a worksheet

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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pop — to visit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bass — the fish
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bass — low music
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pop — soda
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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