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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. key — in music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — the fish
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bulb — for light

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