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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — to fit
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. ball — a great time
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pound — a weight
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bass — low music
  24. leaves — lets stay

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