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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. object — an aim
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. object — to protest
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stand — to bear
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — to come down
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — ground
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. land — a country
  20. last — final
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. deal — a big deal

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