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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. spell — letters
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bass — low music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. face — to point toward
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. face — to confront
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. snap — to click
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wake — a trail
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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