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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. staff — employees
  3. last — final
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chest — a box
  6. pit — a hole
  7. row — to paddle
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chest — of your body
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tear — from crying
  12. object — to protest
  13. staff — a stick
  14. row — a line
  15. chest — of your body
  16. last — to go on
  17. staff — employees
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. object — an aim
  22. last — finally
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pit — in a race

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