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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — a series
  6. drill — army training
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ground — a position
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rush — hurry
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. drill — a practice
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ground — crushed
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rush — a thrill

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