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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. board — a committee
  6. bass — the fish
  7. key — in music
  8. wax — to grow
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mark — a trace
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. key — for a lock
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. board — to get on
  24. bass — low music

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