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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. firm — steady
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. court — of a king
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cell — a phone
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bass — low music
  10. rash — a series
  11. firm — decided
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. snap — to click
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bass — the fish
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. court — of law
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. firm — a company
  22. court — for sport
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cell — in a prison

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