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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. foot — a measure
  9. shower — rain
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. season — in sport
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. shower — to wash
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. season — of the year
  22. deal — to handle
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rush — hurry

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