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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: mouse · bass · foot · temple · cold · ball · saw · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bass — the fish
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bass — low music
  21. cold — not warm
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cold — an illness

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