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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: wound · bay · bass · race · spring · bowl · mouse · temple

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. race — humankind
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spring — of water
  15. bass — low music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. spring — the season
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wound — an injury

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