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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wake — a trail
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kid — to tease
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bass — low music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chest — a box
  16. kid — child
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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