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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pop — to visit
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fine — all right
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pop — music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fine — high quality
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — a tight spot

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