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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.

Make a worksheet

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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. saw — the tool
  3. scale — size or range
  4. last — to go on
  5. object — an aim
  6. scale — in music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — electric
  10. object — to protest
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. current — of water
  16. rock — a stone
  17. last — finally
  18. cell — in biology
  19. last — final
  20. current — happening now
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. object — a thing
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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