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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. mark — a trace
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cap — a hat
  5. scale — in music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. net — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mark — a grade
  14. net — for catching
  15. cap — a lid
  16. suit — to fit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. suit — clothes
  19. net — after costs
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cap — of ice
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rest — what's left
  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