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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. game — a match
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pop — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pop — soda
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bass — low music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pop — to visit
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cap — of ice
  23. branch — a division
  24. temple — side of the head

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