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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: chest · last · temple · mug · dip · bass · bay · rash

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bass — low music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chest — a box
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — final
  13. chest — of your body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rash — hasty
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mug — a face
  21. rash — a series
  22. last — finally
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. last — to go on

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