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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rest — a break
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rest — what's left
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. court — of law
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. board — a committee
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bowl — a football final

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