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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rest — a break
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. court — for sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chest — of your body
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — a series
  18. court — of law
  19. chest — a box
  20. court — of a king
  21. chip — for betting
  22. present — there
  23. rest — what's left
  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