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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — low music
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bass — the fish
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. march — the month
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. march — music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kid — child
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — a container
  22. kid — to tease
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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