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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bass — low music
  4. race — a contest
  5. bass — the fish
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mate — to breed
  8. board — a committee
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. sharp — clever
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to sink
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. board — to get on
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mate — a friend

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