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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — certain
  6. snap — to click
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. capital — money
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. firm — a company
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pit — in a race
  16. firm — decided
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — a hole
  20. capital — a city
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. staff — a stick
  24. firm — steady

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