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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. march — music
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. march — the month
  12. current — electric
  13. toast — bread
  14. current — happening now
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. current — of water
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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