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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mate — a partner
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. board — to get on
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hand — help
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. board — a committee
  12. rule — government
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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