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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bass — the fish
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pop — soda
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pop — music
  22. bass — low music
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wake — a trail

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