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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. firm — decided
  3. suit — to fit
  4. last — finally
  5. bear — the animal
  6. last — to go on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. march — the month
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. firm — a company
  17. march — the month
  18. file — a line of people
  19. last — final
  20. suit — clothes
  21. firm — steady
  22. file — a tool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. march — music

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