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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. kick — in football
  3. present — a gift
  4. bass — low music
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. present — there
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. swing — in golf

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