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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ground — a position
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ground — crushed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. object — to protest
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. shower — to wash
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. object — a thing
  20. toast — bread
  21. object — an aim
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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