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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. season — in sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rule — a law
  10. key — the most important part
  11. craft — boats
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rule — government
  15. rock — a stone
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rock — music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. key — in music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chest — a box
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fan — a supporter

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