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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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468
Word bank
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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. last — finally
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bass — the fish
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — low music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. last — final
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. last — to go on
  24. season — of the year

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