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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rash — a series
  4. bass — low music
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the fish
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. staff — a stick
  9. sharp — clever
  10. squash — the sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wound — an injury
  15. dip — to sink
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rash — hasty
  20. squash — to crush
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. squash — the vegetable

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