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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pop — soda
  12. present — there
  13. pop — music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. present — the time now
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rest — a break
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pop — to visit

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