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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: temple · bass · hide · deal · object · sharp · drill · stick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. drill — army training
  4. bass — the fish
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. drill — a practice
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. object — a thing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. temple — side of the head

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