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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · straw · mug · tear · saw · net · temple · march

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. net — for catching
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — the tool
  6. net — after costs
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. march — music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. net — in sport
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mug — a face
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. tear — from crying
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. march — the month

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