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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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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: wake · arm · rock · deal · pound · temple · wind · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rock — music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wake — a trail
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wind — moving air
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — low music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bass — the fish
  24. arm — part of the body

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