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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. last — finally
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. last — final
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ball — a great time
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chest — a box
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ball — a dance
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. last — to go on
  24. chest — of your body

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