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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mark — a trace
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. band — a ring
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mark — a grade
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. degree — from a university
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. band — a music group
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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