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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. scale — in music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. present — the time now
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — steady
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. firm — decided
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. present — a gift
  23. firm — a company
  24. temple — a place of worship

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