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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — what's left
  8. last — final
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. dip — to sink
  15. last — finally
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — the fish
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rest — a break
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pound — a weight
  23. last — to go on
  24. trunk — of a car

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