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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rest — what's left
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. drill — a practice
  7. firm — a company
  8. mug — to rob
  9. drill — army training
  10. mug — a face
  11. firm — steady
  12. rest — a break
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. scale — in music
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rest — what's left
  18. drill — the tool

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