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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. swing — music
  3. content — happy
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bass — the fish
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stem — to come from
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. key — in music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. key — the most important part
  17. content — the amount
  18. suit — clothes
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. key — for a lock
  22. swing — to play on
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bass — low music

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