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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: bat · bass · season · temple · bound · drill · foot · hide

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. drill — army training
  8. foot — a measure
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — the fish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bound — certain
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. bat — for baseball

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