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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cold — not warm
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. sharp — clever
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mate — a partner
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rash — a series
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mate — a friend
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. leaves — to go away

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