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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.

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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cell — in biology
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. object — a thing
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cell — a phone
  9. net — in sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. net — for catching
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — to confront
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. object — to protest
  21. fine — high quality
  22. net — after costs
  23. object — an aim
  24. rush — a thrill

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