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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
YesNo
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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: leaves · fine · temple · ground · wound · bass · bay · rock

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rock — music
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ground — a position
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bass — low music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fine — all right
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fine — high quality

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