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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pop — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. season — of the year
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rest — a break
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. roll — a list
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — in sport

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