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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mate — a partner
  5. chest — a box
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bound — obliged
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bound — certain
  13. pitch — completely
  14. season — in sport
  15. mate — to breed
  16. chest — of your body
  17. season — of the year
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chest — of your body
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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