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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. object — an aim
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — help
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — a break
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cue — a hint
  16. object — a thing
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cue — a signal
  20. object — to protest
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. temple — a place of worship

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