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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. object — to protest
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. object — a thing
  11. bass — low music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. object — an aim
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. kid — child
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. kid — to tease
  24. arm — part of the 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