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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. firm — steady
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. present — there
  10. last — final
  11. stock — goods
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. present — the time now
  15. last — to go on
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. firm — decided
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. firm — a company
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. last — finally
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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