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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. suit — clothes
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. snap — to click
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bear — the animal
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. hand — help
  20. suit — to fit
  21. hand — in cards
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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