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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: bass · last · craft · pitcher · temple · cap · bear · straw

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — of ice
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. last — final
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cap — a lid
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bear — the animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — boats
  21. last — finally
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. craft — a handicraft

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