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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bass — the fish
  4. toast — bread
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — crushed
  11. hand — help
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. snap — to click
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ground — a position
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — low music
  22. hand — in cards
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. patient — a sick person

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