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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — in music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — employees
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. foot — a measure
  11. snap — to click
  12. scale — size or range
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. staff — employees
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rock — music
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rock — a stone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. sharp — clever
  24. temple — side of the head

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