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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: kid · bay · charge · temple · lean · suit · bass · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. lean — to bend
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. kid — child
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. charge — electricity
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bass — the fish
  12. charge — a price
  13. suit — clothes
  14. key — in music
  15. suit — to fit
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bass — low music
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. key — the most important part
  22. suit — in cards
  23. charge — in control
  24. lean — thin

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