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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cue — a hint
  3. race — a contest
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bear — the animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chair — a leader
  13. race — humankind
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cue — for pool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. drill — army training
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bass — the fish
  21. craft — boats
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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