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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. present — a gift
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — all right
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. hand — in cards
  22. present — there
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hand — help

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