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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.

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: rest · bass · lean · craft · pop · temple · swing · spell

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lean — to bend
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. craft — boats
  12. pop — soda
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bass — the fish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pop — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bass — low music
  20. lean — thin
  21. swing — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — to visit

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