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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. present — a gift
  4. race — a contest
  5. present — the time now
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — there
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. race — humankind
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — the arms race
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rest — what's left

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