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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. suit — clothes
  3. band — a music group
  4. land — ground
  5. band — a ring
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rest — what's left
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. land — to come down
  18. mine — for digging
  19. land — a country
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rest — a break

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