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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rest — what's left
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bound — certain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — high quality
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — obliged
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bound — tied together
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rest — a break
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stock — goods
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. hide — animal skin

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