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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. roll — a cake
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rest — a break
  11. bound — obliged
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. chair — a leader
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. file — a document
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. roll — a list
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. roll — on a roll

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