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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cell — a phone
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fine — high quality
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. snap — to click
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bass — low music
  24. arm — part of the body

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