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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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468
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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mate — a partner
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rest — a break
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mate — to breed
  11. object — a thing
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. track — a path
  14. cue — for pool
  15. object — to protest
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mate — a friend
  24. track — to keep track

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