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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mug — to rob
  3. last — finally
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bass — low music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. last — to go on
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. last — final
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mug — a face
  24. fan — a supporter

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