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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: spell · last · pit · rush · bass · bound · temple · staff

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pit — a hole
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. spell — letters
  7. bound — obliged
  8. staff — employees
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. bound — certain
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pit — in a race
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. spell — magic
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — low music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. last — to go on
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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