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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: bass · temple · club · wind · leaves · cue · chest · fork

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bass — the fish
  4. club — a group
  5. bass — low music
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cue — a hint
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chest — of your body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. club — for golf
  24. leaves — to go away

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