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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. march — the month
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rash — a series
  24. march — the month

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