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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — a lid
  3. scale — in music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. current — happening now
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cap — a hat
  8. current — electric
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. staff — employees
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. scale — size or range
  15. staff — a stick
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — of water
  18. cap — of ice

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