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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. firm — decided
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. firm — steady
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. season — of the year
  14. firm — a company
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — all right

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