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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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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 · fan · pop · temple · mark · nail · mate · row

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mate — a partner
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mark — a grade
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. row — a line
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mark — a trace
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pop — to visit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — soda
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mate — to breed

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