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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fork — in a road
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bass — low music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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