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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. game — a match
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. file — a line of people
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — low music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bass — the fish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wake — a trail
  21. game — wild animals
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wake — before a funeral

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