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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.

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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bark — to shout
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. last — to go on
  5. bass — low music
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. last — final
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bass — the fish
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. last — finally
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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