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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. court — for sport
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. court — of a king
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rest — a break
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. court — of law
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bound — obliged
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. branch — a division
  22. hand — help
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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